Auto body heater



1938- c. H. F. WHITLARK-ET AL 2,128,763

AUTO BODY HEATER Filed Aug. 6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CZzzzde/1. E WkzZhr F; 5

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Patented ,Aug. 30,1938

UNITED STATES 2,128,163 ap'ro nonr nna'rnn ,Ciaud'e n. Frwhitlark andFrederick A. Weihe,

Jr., Detroit, Micln, assignors to McAleer Manufacturing Company,Detroit, Micln, a corporation of Michigan Application August 6, 1936,Serial No. 94, 588 I 4 Claims. (01. 257-131) This-invention relates toheaters andin particular relates to a circular radiator heater forheating the interior of automobile bodies.

Objects of the invention are to provide an auto body heater constructionhaving the parts thereof so constructed and arranged that the fan andmotor are readily accessible and removable from the heater; to provide aheater construction in which a core is formed of a plurality of flattubular members having fins on their surfaces of. such a constructionthat the maximum efllciency in heat transfer is obtained; to provideaheater materially shortened in construction so that it will require aminimum of space within the automobile body; to provide the deflectingand baffling means of such a character that the direction and volume ofthe heated air entering the body may be effectively controlled; toprovide a-fan motor mounting of such a construction that the motor maybe maintained in a cool condition during operation; and to provide aheater construction which is simple to manufacture and eflicient in use.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the followingspecification, the drawings relating thereto-and from the claimshereinafter set forth.

In the drawings in which like numerals are used to designate like partsin the several views 3 throughout;

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view with parts broken away of an autobody heater embodying V features of the present invention; r Fig. 2 is across sectional view with parts in elevation taken substantially alongthe line 2-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-secview taken substantiallyalong the line tional 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional and elevational viewtaken substantially along theline 41-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sec- .tional view takensubstantially along the line 8-5 of Fig. 4; and,

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified structurefor mounting the motor within the core.

It is, of course, recognized that auto body heater radiators are old andthe present invention relates to an improvement over the known types ofauto body heaters. One of the difllculties with the prior types ofheaters is that the air passing through the heater is not heated to asufficient extent and the heaters are therefore cross section, and theelongated flatportions of I not as eflicient as is desired. In order toobtain a maximum efliciency in heat transfer in heating the air passingthrough the heater, thepresent invention contemplates the constructionof a heater in, which a core is provided, including upper and lowerheaders connected by substantially flattened semi-circular tubes spacedat intervals along the length of the headers. A suitable heating medium,as hot water, or steam, is supplied "to one of the headers, circulatesthrough the tubes 10 to the other header, and away from this last vheader. The core is substantially circular in the tubes are directedradially inwardly so that air enteringthe heater passes over a maximumarea to provide greater eiilciency in heating the air. Also, in order toinsure maximum heating of the entering air, radiating fins are providedon the radially directed surfaces of the semi-circular tubes betweenadjacent tubes.

portant feature of the present invention; and the fins are constructedfrom an elongated strip of heat conducting metal, such as copper, forexample, by passing the gears of such a configuration that trench-likezigzag grooves are provided transversely of the strip of a depthsubstantially equal to the distance between adjacent tubes. The airpassing into the heater travels radially of the core and as it 30 isconfined to thezigza grooves, these grooves will prevent direct straightline entrance into the heater thereby causing turbulence in the incomingair and emciently heating the air;

A motor and fan are provided in the core to 35 draw air radially.therethrough and discharge it through the forwardlyffacing openingthrough a louver plate removably mounted over the opening, and providedwith doors or baflles forwardly oi the louver plate and pivotallymounted to the 40 louver plate. The louvers oi the plate and the bailiedoors are so constructed that the discharge of heated air may beeffectively controlled as to direction and volume to satisfy therequirements of occupants of the vehicle.. 45

Another difficulty with prior types of heaters is r that it is difiicultto conveniently remove the fan and motor from the heater construction,particularly in that heretofore the entire heater requires removal fromthe automobile to permit removal of the motor, and in the present invention the motor and fanare mounted relative to the core so that simply byremoving the front plate and the shroud and the louver plate-as a unit.and the convenient removal of several sup-- The particular 20 shape andconstruction of these fins form an imstrip between spaced 215 portingscrews for the motor, without disturbing the mounting of the heateritself in the automobile, the motor and fan may be conveniently removedthrough the face of the heater. Also the present invention contemplatesthe provision of ,openings through the motor casing and'motor ricallyopposed openings i8 adjacent the outer periphery which have threadedbushings 20 extending therethrough. Upper and lower headers 22 and 24respectively are provided, and as they are substantially identical onlyone need be de-- scribed for an understanding of both. The header 22 ispreferably constructed of the split type having a. male half 24 and afemale half 24 which are preferably push fitted together and are of sucha shape that when the two halves are in assembled position the headerhas substantially flat elongated side portions 28 within whichtransversely extending elongated slots '30 are spaced longitudinally ofthe header. The header 22 is enclosed at its forward end and has areduced substantially circular opening with an outwardly directedannular flange 32- adjacent its rear end over which a header tube 34 isconnected in communication with the interior of.

the header. The header tube 34 fits within the bushing 20 which in turnfits through an opening in the dash. The heater is thus held in place onthe dash by means of nuts 35, or the like, which may be threaded overthe bushing 20.

Substantially semi-circular flattened cross tubes- 36 communicate withthe interior of the headers through the slots and thus communicate theupper and lower headers with each other, and with the headers form, asubstantially circular core for the heater. The tubes 3 are elongated inone transverse direction through the tubes so that they have flattenedside portions a directed radially inwardly of the heater. Radiating fins40 are secured to one of the substantially fiat portions 38 of each tubeand are located in assembled position between adjacent tubes.

The radiating flns'40 are formed from a sheet metal strip of a materialwith good heat conducting characteristics, preferably copper, by passingthe strips through spaced gears of such construction that the strip isshaped to provide transversely extending zigzag grooves 42. The grooves42 are trench-like and zigzag in character, and the grooves 42 may beconsidered as being divided into a plurality of portions or sections 44,46 and 48 transversely of the strip so that all of the sections lying inone plane longitudinally of the strip are parallel to each other, as forexample all of the sections 44 are parallel to each other, whileadjacent sections, such as 44 and 46, are angularly disposed relative toeach other so that a direct straight line path through the groove isavoided.

The grooves 42 have a depth substantially the same as the distancebetween the tubular element 36 and have a transverse width substantiallythe same as the straight or flat portions 38 of the tubes 36. The strip4| is cut into lengths substantially the length of the semicirculartubes 36 and are then bent to substantially the curvature of the tubes36 and secured in heat transfer relation to one of the flat portions 38of each of the tubular members 38, as

by soldering, or a similar manner.

As is evidenced from the above description relative to the drawings,when in assembled position the radiating fins 40 provide generallyradially directed passages into the interior of the core. The zigzagcharacter of the passages 42 prevents direct entrance of air into theinterior of the core and causes turbulence of the entering air, therebyobtaining maximum heating of the air.

A motor illv having afan i2 thereon is mounted within the coresubstantially central of the core and base plate i4, and is secured tothe plate l4 by means of a mounting or supporting plate 64 which issubstantially circular in shape and to which the motor is removablemounted by means of nuts and bolts 56, or the like. mounting orsupporting plate 54 extends outwardly beyond the outer periphery of thecasing of the motor 50, and is there provided with openings 58 adjacentthe outer periphery of the plate 54 at spaced intervals therearound. Theopenings 58 are aligned with openings in the base plate l4 and suitablemeans such as screws 60 are provided for removably securing thesupporting plate 54 to the base Plate l4.

A substantially circular shroud ,62 having a central opening 64 isremovably mounted at the forward edge of the core formed by the headers22 and the foremost tube It and radiating fin 40, the shroud 62 beingcentrally axially inwardly oiiset so that the opening I4 is positionedmaterially to the rear of the foremost tube 36 and slightly to the rearand in surrounding relation to the fan 52. This materially shortens theheater in length so that it requires a minimum of space within theautomobile body, and also confines the discharged air to the opening 84.

A louver plate or ring 66, preferably formed of a sheet metal stamping,is substantially circular in shape and has a radially outwardly directedannular flange 88 which is adapted to seat against and be removablysecured. in a suitable manner, to the shroud 82. The face of the plate Iis provided with louvers ll versely of theface of the inwardly withtheir faces directed downwardly so that airimpinging thereagainst isdirected downwardly.

A pair of doors or baflies II and I2 substantially semicircular in shapeare pivotally mounted to the louver plate 68 so that each baiiie or doormay be pivoted about two separate vertical axes. The mounting means foreach of the doors comprises a U-shaped hinge support 13 fixedly securedto the inner face of the louver plate 86 by means of rivets, or thelike. A hinge 14 with spaced substantially parallel sides 16 ispivotally secured to the hinge support 13 vertical axis by means of vThe inner end of the side 16 of the hinge is pivotally attached to oneof the doors H or 12 by means of rearwardly projecting lugs 80 on thedoors which have openings therethrough cooperating with openings in thehinge I4 and held in place relative thereto by means of rivets 82, orthe like, so that the doors or baiiles may be movable about the verticalpivot pins or rivets 82.

It is evident from the above that a construcrivets 18, or the like.

The

about a substantially which extend transplate it and are bent instructures such as area-res tion is provided for directing the air fromthe heater so that as the air passes through the louvers it is directeddownwardly, and by pivotaliy mounting the doors or bailles so that eachone is pivotaliy mounted about two separate axis, the volume anddirection of the air leaving the heater may be varied in a great manydifferent manners. For example, each of the doors may .be pivoted abouttheir axis so that they may be pulled away from the face of the heaterwith the doors lying in substantially the same plane, or they may be sopivoted that .the air may be directed by eitherof the battles to eitherside of the heater.

,A front cover 9| substantially circular in shape and having a centralopening 92 is provided over the front of the core, the central opening82 being in alignment with the doors II and I2 and having an inwardlydirected annular flange 83 which bears against the louver plate 68. Theouter peripheral edge of the cover Si is flanged as at 94 to fit overthe outer periphery of the shroud 62 in snug engagement therewith andcore assembly. The cover 9| is removably held in place on the core bymeans of spring strips 95 which .have inwardly curved rear edges whichfit within depressions in the flange it of the back plate I4 and havefront tongues 96' which fit within slots in the front cover 9i.

In the structure shown in Fig. 6 a modified mounting for the motorwithin the core is provided in which the motor 50 is enclosed within ashroud or casing 86 which is suitably secured to the front face of themotor and extends rearwardly so that the rear edge is in annular contactwith the motor mounting or supporting plate 54. Openings 81, 88, 89, and90 are provided in the base plate I, the motor mounting or supportingplate. 54 and in the casing of the motor Iii, so that relatively cooloutside air may be drawn through the motor by the low pressure areacreated by the fan to cool the motor and keep it in proper operatingcondition. This is particularly important the present one in which themotor is mounted-within the core of the heater and subjected to the heatfrom the l eating radiator.

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiments of the inventiondescribed withoutso departing from the spirit and substance of theinvention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a heater having an open-face, a louver plate over said open face.said louver plate having transversely extending, downwardly directedlouvers, bafiies forward of said louver plate for closing said openface, and elongated mounting means one end of which is pivotaliyattached to each of said homes and the other end of which is pivotaliyattached to said louver plate.

2. In a heater plate over said open face, the louvers being arranged todirect air passing therethrough downwardly, baiile plates forward ofsaid louver plate for closing said open face, and elongated mountingmeans one end of which is attached to said bail'ies for pivotal movementof said bailles about axes at an angle to said louvers and the other endof which is attached to said louver plate for pivotal movement withrespect to said louver plate. i

3. In a heater having a substantially. round having an open face, alouver core and an open face in which a fan and motor are mounted withinsaid core, a louver plate over said open face, said louver plate havingtransversely extending downwardly directed louvers, bai'iles forward ofsaid louver plate for closing said open face, and elongated mountingmeans one end of which is pivotaliy attached to each of said bailies andthe other end of which is pivotally attached to said louver plate.

4. In a heater having a substantially circular core with a forwardlyfacing opening and in which a fan and motor are mounted within saidcore, a shroud mounted on the front of. said core having a portionextending rearwardly in surrounding relation to said fan to provide aconfining discharge opening for the heated air, a louver plate over saidopening secured to said shroud, baille plates forward of said louverplate for closing said opening. mounting means pivotaliy attaching saidbaiile plates to said louver 7 plate, saidshroud, louver plate andbaflles form- (ltliAllDE H. F. WHITLARK. FREDERICK A. WEIHE, Jll.

